You don't need to pick up a paintbrush to infuse your life with color. Just find a hue you adore. Designer Jason Grant helps you baby-step your way to a beautiful room.

You don't need to pick up a paintbrush to infuse your life with color. Just find a hue you adore — we've got five gorgeous palettes to inspire you—and add in small pieces that'll brighten your day. Designer Jason Grant shows you how to decorate every room with color.

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Just have fun with it

Just have fun with it

Jason Grant, the Australian designer and stylist, has shaken up the decorating world with his no-rules approach. "To me, design is less about following trends and more about filling your home with what you love," he says. "Maybe it's my laid-back Aussie roots, but I'm a firm believer that rooms shouldn't be over-styled or fussy." That said, he does have one guiding principle. "Color is essential. Most people assume that means having to paint, but it's really about choosing colorful accessories." In fact, Grant says, simple things like a lamp, a clustering of accent pillows, or a nightstand can have more impact than a fresh coat of paint (with a heckuva lot less work). The key is starting with a good foundation: Opt for neutral tones on the big things, like your couch, cabinets, and drapes. Once you've laid the groundwork, throwing in pops of color is easy. On these pages and in his gorgeous new book, A Place Called Home, Grant shows off combos that will work with anyone's style.

"It's easy to start with a neutral piece of furniture and introduce color around it," Grant says. One of his clients got very creative with that idea and jazzed up the panels of an old armoire by attaching fabric swatches to it in a block pattern. Mod Podge is really all you need.

Adapted from A Place Called Home. Copyright 2013 by Jason Grant. Published by Rizzoli. Photographs by Jason Greer.

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Pinks: The palette

Pinks: The palette

Ladylike, sure. But boring? Never.

Grant admits that pink is a hard color for some people to embrace (cough, the husband, cough), so, he says, "use it in small doses." It's very versatile, and depending on the shade it can calm or energize a space. If your guy is wary of the shade, Grant suggests that you break him in slowly by introducing pink flowers around your home before investing in anything major.

Adapted from A Place Called Home. Copyright 2013 by Jason Grant. Published by Rizzoli. Photographs by Jason Greer.

Just have fun with it

Jason Grant, the Australian designer and stylist, has shaken up the decorating world with his no-rules approach. "To me, design is less about following trends and more about filling your home with what you love," he says. "Maybe it's my laid-back Aussie roots, but I'm a firm believer that rooms shouldn't be over-styled or fussy." That said, he does have one guiding principle. "Color is essential. Most people assume that means having to paint, but it's really about choosing colorful accessories." In fact, Grant says, simple things like a lamp, a clustering of accent pillows, or a nightstand can have more impact than a fresh coat of paint (with a heckuva lot less work). The key is starting with a good foundation: Opt for neutral tones on the big things, like your couch, cabinets, and drapes. Once you've laid the groundwork, throwing in pops of color is easy. On these pages and in his gorgeous new book, A Place Called Home, Grant shows off combos that will work with anyone's style.

"It's easy to start with a neutral piece of furniture and introduce color around it," Grant says. One of his clients got very creative with that idea and jazzed up the panels of an old armoire by attaching fabric swatches to it in a block pattern. Mod Podge is really all you need.

Adapted from A Place Called Home. Copyright 2013 by Jason Grant. Published by Rizzoli. Photographs by Jason Greer.

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Pinks: The palette

Ladylike, sure. But boring? Never.

Grant admits that pink is a hard color for some people to embrace (cough, the husband, cough), so, he says, "use it in small doses." It's very versatile, and depending on the shade it can calm or energize a space. If your guy is wary of the shade, Grant suggests that you break him in slowly by introducing pink flowers around your home before investing in anything major.

Adapted from A Place Called Home. Copyright 2013 by Jason Grant. Published by Rizzoli. Photographs by Jason Greer.

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Pinks: The bedroom

For a bedroom, pick a dusty pink — it's relaxing.

Adapted from A Place Called Home. Copyright 2013 by Jason Grant. Published by Rizzoli. Photographs by Jason Greer.

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Pinks: The kitchen

Go vibrant and give a high-traffic space, like your kitchen, a playful boost.

Adapted from A Place Called Home. Copyright 2013 by Jason Grant. Published by Rizzoli. Photographs by Jason Greer.

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Greens: The palette

Bring the freshness of the outside in with nature-inspired colors.

Because he's an outdoorsy guy, Grant is drawn to the color of sea foam, succulents, grasses, and the yellow-green leaves in the springtime. "Green is a great color because it has a cross section of shades that are all gorgeous," he says.

Adapted from A Place Called Home. Copyright 2013 by Jason Grant. Published by Rizzoli. Photographs by Jason Greer.

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Greens: The bedroom

This pine-hued industrial task lamp, which looks so cool on a "nightstand" of old magazines, is a statement piece when surrounded by various shades of gray and white.

Adapted from A Place Called Home. Copyright 2013 by Jason Grant. Published by Rizzoli. Photographs by Jason Greer.

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Greens: The kitchen

For little hits of color in your kitchen, choose pots and pans in rich enamels like the pumpkin and chartreuse shown here, and leave them out instead of hiding them in cabinets.

Adapted from A Place Called Home. Copyright 2013 by Jason Grant. Published by Rizzoli. Photographs by Jason Greer.

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Greens: The living room

"Lots of throw pillows will instantly punch up a simple couch," Grant says, and greens are especially lovely with sandy browns.

Adapted from A Place Called Home. Copyright 2013 by Jason Grant. Published by Rizzoli. Photographs by Jason Greer.

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Oranges and reds: The palette

For the most livable look, go for shades that are a little retro.

Deep, rusty oranges, the kind that give off a '70s vibe, are what Grant is drawn to these days, but he makes them very 2013 by using them sparingly.

Adapted from A Place Called Home. Copyright 2013 by Jason Grant. Published by Rizzoli. Photographs by Jason Greer.

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Oranges and reds: The kitchen

"I think the kitchen is where reds and oranges work best," Grant says. "They are colors that evoke hunger!" This gorgeous, glossy refrigerator works because it's balanced by dark, chocolatey woods and natural floors.

Adapted from A Place Called Home. Copyright 2013 by Jason Grant. Published by Rizzoli. Photographs by Jason Greer.